Lashonda Taylor and her husband and their seven children have spent the last week in Red Cross shelters after being evacuated from Savannah because of the hurricane. “We were staying at a motel because we had lost our apartment but were then told we had to leave the motel,” she tells me.

Taylor says it’s been stressful but she would give the American Red Cross high marks, saying that volunteers have even provided activities to keep her kids busy. “And when they’re happy it’s less stressful for me,” she said.

The last shelter in the area has about 100 people and has been set up on the campus of the Compassion Christian Church. “We want to make sure everyone has a chance to get re-settled,” said Dave Stewart who is the global outreach pastor.

“This hits close to home, one of our pastors had his home destroyed,” said Stewart. “We know by now there was a varying degree as to how people were affected by this so we’re just looking at this as another opportunity to be the church and serve the community we live in,” he said.

In addition to the church and Red Cross offering support and help, the Salvation Army has been providing daily meals to all those in the shelter and all those in the community (like emergency workers) who need food. At last county, the organization had provided more than 24,000 meals since last Monday.